Organic coatings are presently used to protect optical fibers from mechanical abrasion that leads to losses and mechanical failure via moisture and stress cracking. These soft coatings must be applied in thicknesses of tens of microns, and the coatings lack dimensional stability and become sticky with age. This causes failures, for example, when spooling the fiber for fiber optic-guided (FOG) missiles. The coatings have excessive volume and weight, limiting the missile range. Recently developed hermetic coatings for fibers provide protection against moisture attack, but do not provide protection against abrasion.